Dual BKB champion Cub Hawkins dismisses six-inch height gap ahead of Montgomery bout

Cub Hawkins, the most decorated fighter in BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing’s Trigon, steps into a nontitle bout at 160 pounds against Rowdy Legend Montgomery at Bally’s Fightnight by BKB on Friday, Oct. 23, at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi in Mississippi. The 6-foot-2 Montgomery holds a six-inch height advantage over the 5-foot-8 Hawkins — a disparity the champion says barely registers.

“I don’t really know anything about him,” Hawkins told Sherdog.com. “I just know I’m going to show up and, you know, do what I do.”

The 28-year-old Chicago native, one of 13 children, carries a bare-knuckle record of 10-1 with nine of those victories coming by knockout or technical knockout. He holds BKB championships at 175 and 185 pounds, most recently defeating Professional Fighters League and UFC veteran Jesse Ronson to claim the latter title.

Hawkins and his team have not built a specific game plan around Montgomery. “We just get ready for our fight and just train how we usually train,” he said, adding that he expects only one outcome: “Of course, with me getting my hand raised.”

The fighter, nicknamed The Savage, says the bare-knuckle format suits his mindset. “I think it’s a mental game — whoever’s stronger. And that’s what I like.” He also acknowledges the physical cost of the discipline. “I know how much power I throw, and that’s just something you’ve got to look out for,” he said, referencing the risk of hand injuries.

Hawkins prepared for the bout under head coach Jesse Brock, a veteran of Bellator MMA, the Resurrection Fighting Alliance, and the World Series of Fighting. His primary sparring partners were professional fighters Raymond Lawley and Andrew Cruz, who also coaches at SBG Idaho.

On the subject of potential crossover bouts with rival promotion BKFC, Hawkins was dismissive. “They would never do that,” he said. His focus remains squarely on consolidating his standing within BKB. “I’m the champ and so that’s the goal — to stay the champ.”